Notices issued to 9,930 property owners for tax evasion
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has issued notices to 9,930 property owners for allegedly under-declaring property area under the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS) and evading property tax amounting to ₹369.81 crore.
According to officials, the GBA’s Information Technology wing, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), conducted a door-to-door survey across five municipal corporation zones using GPS-enabled teams. The survey utilised GPS data and drone imagery to verify the actual built-up area of properties. The investigation revealed that several property owners had declared a lesser built-up area than the actual size while paying taxes under the SAS system. In addition, some properties being used for commercial purposes and rented out were falsely declared as residential properties to pay lower taxes.
Property tax is the primary source of revenue for the five municipal corporations under the GBA’s jurisdiction. In this backdrop, the authority has intensified efforts to recover dues and act against tax evaders. Officials stated that over the past five years, the identified 9,930 property owners had collectively evaded taxes worth ₹369.81 crore, including differential tax, penalties, and interest. Special Commissioner (Revenue) Munish Moudgil said that one notice per year has been issued to each of the 9,930 property owners, totalling 49,898 notices so far. Notices seeking explanations have been served, and they have also been communicated through SMS and IVRS. Property owners are required to respond online or file an appeal within 15 days of receiving the notice.
The GPS survey teams entered property tax details into a mobile application during the field survey. They recorded GPS coordinates, usage type (residential, commercial, or mixed use), built-up area, number of floors, and other relevant details. This information was then transmitted to the backend system for verification. A Quality Check (QC) team reviews all property data received from the GPS teams. Rejected cases are sent back for re-verification. Cases approved by the QC team are further cross-checked with drone data and digitised built-up area records. If discrepancies are found—such as under-declaration of built-up area or commercial usage declared as residential—automated notices are generated demanding payment of the differential tax along with interest and penalties, officials said. Officials reiterated that strict action will continue against property tax evasion to safeguard civic revenue.